Will the Cabinet Secretary clarify what is being done to ensure future NHS viability without the need for a winter sprint?
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care | Answered on 22/01/2026
We are committed to systemic and structural reform to avoid the need for temporary operational sprints.
While such initiatives cannot fix structural challenges, there is evidence of short-term accelerated improvement, including tactical, diagnostic, and behavioural changes.
I am determined health boards, NHS trusts and local authority partners will learn – and apply the learning – from the two winter sprints to improve outcomes and experiences.